Raspberry Pi has launched an insanely small and cheap new computer

Budget-computer company Raspberry Pi has launched a crazily cheap
and small new computer.

Pictured above, it's called the Raspberry Pi Zero, and it costs
just $5 (£3.30).

It boasts some pretty impressive specs, despite its price point.
It comes with a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and can output to a
1080p screen using HDMI at 60 frames a second. There is no
onboard storage at all, but it comes with a Micro SD card slot so
users can pick how much memory they think they need.

The Pi Zero on the front of Magpi
magazine.Raspberry
Pi

To put those figures into context, the iPhone 4 — which launched
in 2010 — also had 512MB of RAM, and only had an 800MHz
processor.

To actually use this thing, users will need to plug in their own
screen, mouse, and keyboard, and by default it runs the operating
system Raspbian — a version of Linux. With that done, it would
operate much like any "normal" desktop computer.

Its size and cost also makes it an attractive candidate for
building DIY "connected" objects. A user could buy a handful and
rig them up to various sensors in order to turn their house into
a "smart home." Older versions of the Raspberry Pi have been used
for
exactly this purpose.

In fact, it's so small, and so cheap, that the company is giving
it away as a freebie in Magpi, the official Raspberry Pi
magazine. "We're the first computer magazine ever to give away a
computer as a cover gift," Upton claims.

The first Raspberry Pi was launched in 2012, and the company's
mission is to produce low-cost devices to introduce people to the
world of computer science. Nominally aimed at kids, the budget
computers have become beloved by hobbyists.

"Of all the things we do at Raspberry Pi, driving down the cost
of computer hardware remains one of the most important," says a
company blog post introducing the Pi Zero. "Even in the
developed world, a programmable computer is a luxury item for a
lot of people, and every extra dollar that we ask someone to
spend decreases the chance that they’ll choose to get involved."